Check it out now for the opportunity to buy more thousands of dollars in discounted deals, including hot deals on romantic getaways, restaurant gift cards, lawn care, car care, furniture, summer camps for kids, golf, skin care packages and much more.

Presented by the Calgary Herald, the Spring 2015 edition of Like It Buy It Calgary will start on April 8 at noon and will run through April 14 at 9 p.m.

Savvy bargain hunters will want to find their favourite deals now, and then return to likeitbuyitcalgary.com to buy when the sale launches at noon on April 8.

DISCLAIMER: This story was produced by Postmedia Works for commercial purposes. Postmedia’s editorial departments had no involvement in the creation of this content.

A sneek peek at just a handful of amazing deals you’ll find at likeitbuyitcalgary.com. Check them out starting Monday, March 30 and get ready to buy when likeitbuyitcalgary.com goes live on April 8 at noon.

A brand-new 2014 Jeep Patriot from Eastside Dodge Chrysler Jeep. Retail price: $19,690. Like It Buy It price: $14,767.50, a savings of 50 per cent.

]]>http://calgaryherald.com/life/swerve/style-yyc-paula-rodriguez/feed0IMG_0007bweir123Women of the Wild West hit the Big Apple; collaboration dinner sees six Calgary chefs cooking at famed James Beard Househttp://calgaryherald.com/life/food/women-of-the-wild-west-hit-the-big-apple-collaboration-dinner-sees-six-calgary-chefs-cooking-at-famed-james-beard-house
http://calgaryherald.com/life/food/women-of-the-wild-west-hit-the-big-apple-collaboration-dinner-sees-six-calgary-chefs-cooking-at-famed-james-beard-house#commentsSat, 28 Mar 2015 11:00:46 +0000http://calgaryherald.com/?p=267429]]>Six women and a selection of ingredients showcasing the bounty of Alberta are set to take a bite out of the Big Apple.

Representing two restaurants, a catering company, a private club, a hotel and a sport institute, six chefs will cook a multi-course dinner at the famed Beard House next month, shining a welcome spotlight both on Calgary’s culinary scene and the meats, grains and produce from this province.

For the women creating the dishes for the event, the experience will be a career highlight — and a challenge as they work out details around getting their ingredients across the border and cooking a dinner for about 75 people in a kitchen the size of most home ones.

All are keenly aware at just how unusual the chance is. Not just an invitation to cook at a Beard House dinner, but in a group comprised solely of women (many of whom are bringing other women to help), all from the same Canadian city and whose efforts in that kitchen and on those plates reflect back on Calgary.

“It’s the highlight of my career and it’s exciting to work with these amazing women chefs from Calgary who are being celebrated,” said Calgary Petroleum Club executive chef Liana Robberecht. “You never think this is something you can actually be invited to. It has that reputation. It’s like the Academy Awards for chefs.”

“I get goosebumps every time I talk about it,” said Winsport Canada’s executive sous chef Wanda Ly. “That exposure is everything. People will pay more attention to Calgary.”

An invitation to cook at the Beard House is a pinnacle moment for most chefs.

The non-profit James Beard foundation, named for cookbook author James Beard, runs a number of educational initiatives, as well as annual food industry awards, which recognize the best chefs and restaurants across the United States. In a historic house in Greenwich Village, the foundation has created a space where chefs come by special invitation to cook dinners.

“It’s a mecca for world-renowned food and chefs,” said Nicole Gourmet’s Nicole Gomes. “Some of America’s best chefs have cooked there.”

The dinner is a chance to feature both the culinary talent in Calgary, as well as the ingredients these chefs are inspired by and use when cooking. Bison, barley, Chinook honey, local cheeses, Saskatoon berries, Brassica mustard and more are featured on the menu. All of which should dispel any ongoing misconception that Calgary’s menus are filled with steak and potatoes.

“There is a hotbed of culinary that is happening in Calgary and this is a great time to showcase that to the public,” said Robberecht.

Collaboration has been a key part of coming up with a cohesive menu that flows between dishes. Meetings between the women helped to inspire the dishes, she added.

“Everyone’s energy keeps re-inspiring everybody. There’s such a good vibe about going, collaborating. We want the dishes and dinner to tell a story.”

The dinner neatly coincides with the Women Chefs and Restaurateurs conference happening in New York at the same time. Robberecht, a long-time member of the organization that educates and promotes women in the culinary industry, has been key in connecting female chefs and restaurateurs in this city with the WCR. A one-day educational conference for WCR members is set to go ahead in Calgary this October — the first in Canada.

“It’s a chance to promote women in the industry,” said Charcut co-owner and executive chef DeSousa of the dinner, who was part of a Top Chef Canada collaboration dinner at James Beard back in 2011.

Among those set to attend the dinner are Elizabeth Falkner, an award-winning chef once named “Pastry Chef of the Year” by Bon Appetit and frequent competitor on cooking shows such as Iron Chef America, Top Chef Masters and Food Network’s Challenge. She was in Calgary last year and visited Winsport and Black Pig Bistro as part of the whirlwind trip.

Moulin, who herself competed on Top Chef Canada, said the dinner has her thrilled, flattered and anxious — partly because of those who will be eating her canapes and desserts.

“There are a lot of women I’ve looked up to who are attending,” she said.

But, she added, she hopes this dinner will pave the way for other Calgary chefs to also take a turn in the James Beard kitchen.

Interim Liberal leader David Swann led off. According to Hansard’s unofficial transcript, Swann said: “For decades, this PC government has ignored the basic 19th-century human right of paid farm workers, including children, to have a safe workplace under the guise of quote, protecting the family farm, end of quote. Somehow, our closest prairie neighbour, Saskatchewan, and every other province in the country has managed to balance the rights of workers with the interests of the agriculture industry.

“Not in Alberta … nine out of 10 farm workers are not covered by Workers’ Compensation because it’s not mandated. To the Premier: when will you close the loopholes and allow the people that feed us to be included in occupational health and safety standards?”

Labour Minister Ric McIver appeared to deliberately misunderstand. Conflating having a right with being subject to law, McIver said that Alberta farmers already have the right to be under Workers’ Compensation. Too bad farmers are not exercising their right to enrol in WCB, eh Minister McIver? Oh, well. Sucks to be those unprotected farm workers, I guess.

Swann persisted: ” … again, to the Premier: when will you join the rest of Confederation and protect the people that feed us by including them under WCB? The other 90 per cent of Canada does. Why not Alberta?”

The answer appears to be that in Alberta, farm workers are happy peons who don’t mind having no WCB (and thus no income when injured, and no spousal benefits when killed), no oversight by occupational health and safety rules, no employment standards governing length of the working day, etc., no ability to refuse dangerous work, and when that dangerous work kills them, next to no chance of having an inquiry called into their fatalities.

Alberta’s farm workers are like the cartoon hens on egg cartons. Those smiling caricatures mask the reality that the vast majority of real hens spend their lives in cramped wire cages, thousands of hens to a barn, with each one’s living space no larger than an eight-inch by 11-inch sheet of paper. Constant egg-laying means many suffer from broken bones due to severely depleted calcium levels. But all the consumer sees is the egg-carton design, evoking happy hens clucking in the farmyard.

So it is for Alberta farm workers, whose gruesome injuries and deaths are kept out of sight. In 2012, the Alberta government stopped making public statistics about farm injuries and deaths. Nor does the province have a legal obligation to call fatality inquiries into farm workers’ deaths on the job. Alberta farm workers are as invisible as those caged hens.

When Swann pressed McIver about why the province allows big agri-business to put farm workers at risk, McIver chided him for dissing the farmers: “The hon. member should be grateful for the fact that big business, which is agriculture, the second biggest business in this province, is thriving, and it’s thriving because the farmers and ranchers and people that work there are doing a great job. Rather than talk ill of them, perhaps the hon. member should be appreciating the great efforts they do, the success that they have, the money that they bring into this province, the taxes that they generate, and the food that they provide for every table … ”

Swann wasn’t talking ill of the farmers. He was pointing out that the government is ill-treating Alberta’s farm workers. In fact, since it denies them the rights it accords every other type of worker, it treats farm workers as if they are subhuman.

It’s been 10 years since the Farmworkers Union of Alberta (FUA) launched this battle. It’s been nine years since farm worker Kevan Chandler’s death in a High River grain silo made the struggle highly public. May FUA founders Eric Musekamp, Darlene Dunlop and Alberta’s farm workers taste victory soon. But until they do, Minister McIver risks getting blood on his hands.

Highlights of the evening were numerous but not surprisingly top of the list was the Spring 2015 parade of fashion featuring 68 models and 116 looks. Fabulous food prepared by Hotel Arts award winning chef Duncan Ly, wine and spirits courtesy of Willow Park Wines & Spirits, a performance from select dancers from Alberta Ballet, Stephania Romaniuk’s brilliant performance of Habanera from Carmen, a raffle of a $5000 personal shopping experience at Holt Renfrew, terrific auction items and of course, the after party ensured all in attendance had a wonderful evening.

Your faithful social scribe had the distinct pleasure of hosting the magenta carpet with media celebs Phoenix and Style Guys Jason Krell and Aly Velji. Who was not in attendance would make a much shorter listing as seemingly the entire city attended including: Calgary Health Trust CEO Jill Olynyk; Shaw Communications COO Jay Mehr and his wife Viviane (you’ll want to tune into Shaw Cable 10 Mar 28 at 4:30 for the premiere of the one-hour Bella special); W. Brett Wilson and Shauna Sky; Linda Hohol and her daughter Tara; Joe Colangelo with his fiancee Monika Jensen and his daughter Kristin Colangelo; Holt Renfrew’s Lisa Tant, vice-president, exclusive services with Calgary colleagues Tracy Logan, manager, marketing and public relations and Jesse Williams, manager, national merchandising; Alberta Ballet board chair Dawn McDonald and her husband Dr. Grant Bartlett; Cannacord Genuity’s Bruce McDonald and his wife Candace; event producer Brooks and Dodd Consulting’s Tom Dodd; Sophia Models owner Bill Giofu; Jerome’s Jerome Pinsonneault and his talented team who created the simple-yet elegant hair looks shown on the runway; Holts stylists Reba Hoff, Diandra Good and Caley McKay; and others pictured on these two pages.

Pictured, from left at Holt Renfrew Bella held March 11 in Holt Renfrew are Bill Brooks, Calgary Health Trust CEO Jill Olynyk and event producer Tom Dodd. The fabulous spring 2015 parade of fashion raised more than $500,000 for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the Foothills Medical Centre.

Among the hundreds of guests who attended Holt Renfrew Bella held March 11 in Holt Renfrew were Dr. Grant Bartlett and his wife Dawn McDonald, board chair, Alberta Ballet. The fabulous spring 2015 parade of fashion was opened with a performance from a select group of Alberta Ballet dancers.

Pictured with reason to smile at Holt Renfrew Bella held March 11 in Holt Renfrew are Linda Hohol and her daughter Tara Hohol. Lucky Linda won the raffle this night-a $5000 Holt Renfrew shopping experience.

Among the hundreds of guests who attended Holt Renfrew Bella held March 11 in Holt Renfrew were Shaw Communications COO Jay Mehr and his wife Viviane. Shaw filmed the fabulous fashionable fundraiser and the one-hour special will air on Shaw Cable 10 at 4:30 p.m. Mar 28.

Pictured at Holt Renfrew Bella held March 11 in Holt Renfrew are Terry Berg and Julie Shaw. Shaw was one of the invaluable committee members that ensured Bella was an enormous success.

Pictured at Holt Renfrew Bella held March 11 in Holt Renfrew are Rich Waller and his wife Jane McCaig. McCaig was one of the invaluable committee members that ensured Bella was an enormous success.

Herald social scribe Bill Brooks was one of four media personalties chosen to host the magenta carpet at Holt Renfrew Bella held March 11 in Holt Renfrew. Joining Brooks is Bella chair Marion Dixon who had just been presented with a Holts Loves badge signifying she was one of the best dressed this night.

Cannacord Genuity’s Bruce McDonald and his wife Candace cut an elegant swath at Holt Renfrew Bella held March 11 in Holt Renfrew. The fabulous fashionable fundraiser raised more than $500,000 for the NICU at Foothills Medical Centre.

Joe Colangelo poses with his daughter Kristin (left) and his fiancee Monika Jensen at Holt Renfrew Bella held March 11 in Holt Renfrew.

Pictured at Holt Renfrew Bella held March 11 in Holt Renfrew is Gucci’s Stephanie Teo-wearing, of course, Gucci from head to toe.

A fundraiser would not be the same were W. Brett Wilson not in attendance. Joining the famed philanthropist at Holt Renfrew Bella held March 11 in Holt Renfrew is Shauna Sky.

Holt Renfrew Bella held March 11 in Holt Renfrew featured 68 models showcasing 116 must-have Spring 2015 looks. The fabulous fashionable event raised more than $500,000 for the NICU at the Foothills Medical Centre.

Holt Renfrew Bella held March 11 in Holt Renfrew featured 68 models showcasing 116 must-have Spring 2015 looks. The fabulous fashionable event raised more than $500,000 for the NICU at the Foothills Medical Centre.

Holt Renfrew Bella held March 11 in Holt Renfrew featured 68 models showcasing 116 must-have Spring 2015 looks. The fabulous fashionable event raised more than $500,000 for the NICU at the Foothills Medical Centre.

Holt Renfrew Bella held March 11 in Holt Renfrew featured 68 models showcasing 116 must-have Spring 2015 looks. The fabulous fashionable event raised more than $500,000 for the NICU at the Foothills Medical Centre.

Holt Renfrew Bella held March 11 in Holt Renfrew was an enormous success and raised more than $500,000 for the NICU at the Foothills Medical Centre. Pictured is Shaw’s Phoenix, one of four magenta carpet hosts this night.

Holt Renfrew Bella held March 11 in Holt Renfrew was an enormous success and raised more than $500,000 for the NICU at the Foothills Medical Centre. Pictured are Style Guys Jason (left) and Aly- two of the four magenta carpet hosts this night.

]]>http://calgaryherald.com/life/fashion-beauty/fashion-and-philanthropy-bella-indeed/feed0032315-GROUP.jpg-0328_Bella_Main_-W.jpgbbrooks1Christina Ryan/ Calgary Herald CALGARY, AB --MARCH 23, 2015 -- The Bella Fashion show, on March 23, 2015. (Christina Ryan/Calgary Herald) (For Lifestyles story by Christina Ryan) SLUG: Bella Event 7Cal 0328 Bella 1 Pictured, from left at Holt Renfrew Bella held March 11 in Holt Renfrew are Bill Brooks, Calgary Health Trust CEO Jill Olynyk and event producer Tom Dodd. The fabulous spring 2015 parade of fashion raised more than $500,000 for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the Foothills Medical Centre.Cal 0328 Bella 2 Among the hundreds of guests who attended Holt Renfrew Bella held March 11 in Holt Renfrew were Dr. Grant Bartlett and his wife Dawn McDonald, board chair, Alberta Ballet. The fabulous spring 2015 parade of fashion was opened with a performance from a select group of Alberta Ballet dancers.Cal 0328 Bella 3 Pictured with reason to smile at Holt Renfrew Bella held March 11 in Holt Renfrew are Linda Hohol and her daughter Tara Hohol. Lucky Linda won the raffle this night-a $5000 Holt Renfrew shopping experience.Cal 0328 Bella 4 Among the hundreds of guests who attended Holt Renfrew Bella held March 11 in Holt Renfrew were Shaw television's Jay Mehr and his wife Vivienne. Shaw filmed the fabulous fashionable fundraiser and the one-hour special will air on Shaw Cable 10 at 4:30 p.m. Mar 28.Cal 0328 Bella 5 Pictured, from left, at Holt Renfrew Bella held March 11 in Holt Renfrew are Hotel Arts' Mark Wilson and his wife, Kensington Riverside Inn's Kerry Wilson with award winning chef Duncan Ly. Hotel Arts provided the sumptuous fare this night.Cal 0328 Bella 6 Pictured at Holt Renfrew Bella held March 11 in Holt Renfrew are Terry Berg and Julie Shaw. Shaw was one of the invaluable committee members that ensured Bella was an enormous success.Cal 0328 Bella 8 Pictured at Holt Renfrew Bella held March 11 in Holt Renfrew are Rich Waller and his wife Jane McCaig. McCaig was one of the invaluable committee members that ensured Bella was an enormous success.Cal 0328 Bella 9 Herald social scribe Bill Brooks was one of four media personalties chosen to host the magenta carpet at Holt Renfrew Bella held March 11 in Holt Renfrew. Joining Brooks is Bella chair Marion Dixon who had just been presented with a Holts Loves badge signifying she was one of the best dressed this night.Cal 0328 Bella 10 XXXXXX and his wife XXXXX cut an elegant swath at Holt Renfrew Bella held March 11 in Holt Renfrew. The fabulous fashionable fundraiser raised more than $500,000 for the NICU at Foothills Medical Centre.Cal 0328 Bella 11 Looking gorgeous at Holt Renfrew Bella held March 11 in Holt Renfrew are Holt's divisional vice-president Deb Kerr with Ann McCaig, board chair, Calgary Health Trust. The fabulous, fashionable fundraiser raised more than $500,000 for the NICU at Foothills Medical Centre.Cal 0328 Bella 12 Joe Colangelo poses with his daughter Kristin (left) and his fiancee Monika Jensen at Holt Renfrew Bella held March 11 in Holt Renfrew.Cal 0328 Bella 13 Pictured at Holt Renfrew Bella held March 11 in Holt Renfrew is Gucci's Stephanie Teo-wearing, of course, Gucci from head to toe.Cal 0328 Bella 14 A fundraiser would not be the same were W. Brett Wilson not in attendance. Joining the famed philanthropist at Holt Renfrew Bella held March 11 in Holt Renfrew is Shauna Sky.Cal 0328 Bella 15 Holt Renfrew Bella held March 11 in Holt Renfrew featured 68 models showcasing 116 must-have Spring 2015 looks. The fabulous fashionable event raised more than $500,000 for the NICU at the Foothills Medical Centre.Cal 0328 Bella 16 Holt Renfrew Bella held March 11 in Holt Renfrew featured 68 models showcasing 116 must-have Spring 2015 looks. The fabulous fashionable event raised more than $500,000 for the NICU at the Foothills Medical Centre.Cal 0328 Bella 17 Holt Renfrew Bella held March 11 in Holt Renfrew featured 68 models showcasing 116 must-have Spring 2015 looks. The fabulous fashionable event raised more than $500,000 for the NICU at the Foothills Medical Centre.Cal 0328 Bella 18 Holt Renfrew Bella held March 11 in Holt Renfrew featured 68 models showcasing 116 must-have Spring 2015 looks. The fabulous fashionable event raised more than $500,000 for the NICU at the Foothills Medical Centre.Cal 0328 Bella 19 Pictured at the hugely successful Holt Renfrew Bella held March 11 in Holt Renfrew are Holt's vice-president, exclusive services Lisa Tant and Holts divisional vice-president Deb Kerr.Cal 0328 Bella 20 Pictured, from left, at the hugely successful Holt Renfrew Bella held March 11 in Holt Renfrew are Tracy Logan, Holt Renfrew manager marketing and public relations with Holts divisional vice-president Deb Kerr, event producer Tom Dodd, principal, Brooks and Dodd Consulting and Calgary Health Trust's Samantha Morahan.Cal 0328 Bella 21 Holt Renfrew Bella held March 11 in Holt Renfrew was an enormous success and raised more than $500,000 for the NICU at the Foothills Medical Centre. Pictured is Shaw's Phoenix, one of four magenta carpet hosts this night.Cal 0328 Bella 22 Holt Renfrew Bella held March 11 in Holt Renfrew was an enormous success and raised more than $500,000 for the NICU at the Foothills Medical Centre. Pictured are Style Guys Jason (left) and Aly- two of the four magenta carpet hosts this night.Expose children to many activities to foster a life-time of active livinghttp://calgaryherald.com/life/parenting/are-organized-sports-creating-kids-who-hate-physical-activity-a-growing-number-of-experts-think-so
http://calgaryherald.com/life/parenting/are-organized-sports-creating-kids-who-hate-physical-activity-a-growing-number-of-experts-think-so#commentsFri, 27 Mar 2015 22:42:03 +0000http://calgaryherald.com/?p=269003]]>If you were born in 1965, 1975 or 1985 and played minor hockey, your chances of playing a single game in the NHL were about one in 1,000. Among elite players, only 0.05 per cent made it to the NHL.

These figures, compiled from Ontario author Ken Campbell for his book, Selling the Dream: How Hockey Parents and their Kids are Paying the Price for our National Obsession, spell out some bleak figures for parents who hope to see their children reach the NHL.

For an increasing number of doctors, educators and parents, however, those bleak figures mask an even bigger problem. They illustrate our fixation on organized sports for kids, a system that is deeply ingrained in Canadian society, but one that has a poor track record for producing active, healthy and fit adults. More and more doctors are saying sports are actually getting in the way of efforts to create a more active and healthy population, at a time when inactive children have become a national crisis.

The problem, say researchers, is that organized sports work very well for a small number of kids. Athletic kids are embraced by a system that rewards them with attention, success, strong coaching, and enriching experiences. For kids who can’t keep up — or who simply don’t develop as quickly or peak at the right time — the same system can reject them, sometimes creating a lifelong aversion, not just to sports, but to physical activity in general.

Fred Engh, an American educator, founder of the National Alliance for Youth Sports and the author of Why Johnny Hates Sports, says as many as 70 per cent of kids begin playing sports at age five will have dropped out by age 13.

“The No. 1 reason (kids drop out of sports) is it ceased to be fun because of the pressure put on them by parents,” Engh says. “This would lead one to believe that with that bad experience, many kids shy away from physical activity later on in life.”

The problem, Engh says, is that organized sports put too much emphasis on the competition. “Parents maintain control of what happens in youth sports, thus we continue to see mostly parents who run youth sports as if it is the professional level.”

Kids compete during the finals of the ESSO minor hockey week in Calgary, on January 17, 2015.

Peter Nieman, a Calgary pediatrician and dedicated runner, says he too often sees kids pressured into sports they don’t feel passion for. The result too often ends with injury and dropouts, not just of sports, but of athletics in general.

“Canadian culture is very driven when it comes to sports, especially hockey,” Nieman says. “But if it’s the adult’s idea more than the kids, it’s usually a bad idea.”

There’s no doubt that sports has benefits to many people. The trouble, says Albi Sole, program co-ordinator of the University of Calgary’s Outdoor Centre, is that only a sliver of kids succeed in organized sports. The rest are often left to find their own way into an active life. He worries too few are finding the benefits of simple outdoor exercise such as hiking.

“There’s an incredibly positive cultural narrative around sport. We’re all familiar with it, there’s a lot of talk in the press every single day. We know why sport is a good thing,” Sole says. “When we talk about outdoor activity, when does it come into people’s consciousness? Only when it’s newsworthy. Only when there’s an avalanche. Only when there’s a bear attack.

“There’s nobody talking about the good things because, when it comes down to it, there’s no money to be made. This is not a money business.”

So what can be done to engage those kids uninterested or unsuccessful in sports? Engh says it’s “foolhardy” to think current physical education in schools can solve the problem.

“For the most part, (phys-ed) teachers simply allowing kids to kick a ball around certainly doesn’t do much for creating a feeling for the value of activity,” Engh says. “What school systems have failed to do is require PE teachers to teach the value of activity for the rest of their lives … from a health standpoint, if not the social benefits sports provides.”

The key, experts say, is exposing children to a multitude of physical activities and letting them follow their interests in a supportive environment. Role modelling and teaching the long-term benefits of activity can’t hurt either.

“Just like food or medication, you have to find the right activity,” Nieman says. “I think if people are ambitious, it’s a good thing, but it should not be pathological.

“If a kid enjoys it, I wouldn’t be surprised if they keep it up their entire lives.”

— With files from Sarah Boesveld, National Post

]]>http://calgaryherald.com/life/parenting/are-organized-sports-creating-kids-who-hate-physical-activity-a-growing-number-of-experts-think-so/feed0032315-CAL0111-2b-29725025-CAL0111-2b-W.jpgtbabinKids compete during the finals of the ESSO minor hockey week in Calgary, on January 17, 2015.John Gilchrist: Villa Maria rises again with luck on its sidehttp://calgaryherald.com/life/food/john-gilchrist-villa-maria-rises-again-with-luck-on-its-side
http://calgaryherald.com/life/food/john-gilchrist-villa-maria-rises-again-with-luck-on-its-side#commentsFri, 27 Mar 2015 20:00:24 +0000http://calgaryherald.com/?p=264312]]>Given all that’s happened to Danny and Maria Caria over the past few years, it wouldn’t be odd to see them stocking up on insecticide and buying locust insurance.

First there was a flood. Then another flood. Then a fire. What’s next? A plague of locusts?

The owners of Villa Maria at 121 — 17 Ave. S.E. (403-228-5556) have been through it all. Back in 2007, when the couple owned Il Pescatore, that year’s flood caused a major backup that soaked their restaurant. Insufficiently insured at the time, the Carias sustained significant losses. After renovations, they signed up for full overland flood coverage.

When the land Il Pescatore stood on was sold, they shifted over to the 17th Avenue location that had formerly been Da Paolo and originally La Chaumiere and took their insurance coverage with them. So when the Great Flood of 2013 hit and filled Villa Maria more than a metre deep with water and sludge, they were able to get compensation. The restaurant was gutted and fully rebuilt, including wiring, insulation, plumbing and almost all the kitchen equipment.

Villa Maria was closed for six months after the flood and now looks fresh and clean. It adheres to the old-school style of linen tablecloths, carpeted floors and sound-baffled ceilings. (You can actually hear a table conversation!) But customers have yet to re-engage with the area, especially since the neighbouring Il Gallo Nero and Lion’s Den never reopened post-flood.

And then there was the fire. A couple weeks ago, a large condo development next to Villa Maria went up in flames. The Carias were at home when they received a call from a restaurant neighbour that there was a small fire on the roof of the building. A few minutes later, the neighbour called back to say that the fire was now huge. But the Carias were lucky this time. There was no damage to their building and only a light scent of smoke in the air. They had to close the night of the fire but have been up and running with their classic Italian cuisine ever since.

Now they’re just on the lookout for locusts.

Well Juicery

Villa Maria wasn’t the closest neighbour to the fire. Between the restaurant and the burned building is another structure that houses De.zin, a furniture, decor and home staging company and Well Juicery. Well follows the current hot trend of cold-pressed juices.

Note: Cold-pressed juices are pressed under thousands of pounds of pressure in a hydraulic press while many “old-style” juices are made by blade-slicing fruits and vegetables and extracting through centrifugal force. The blades can heat up and oxidize the goodness of the fruits and veggies. Cold-pressed juices are purported to be more nutritious. Many pounds of fresh produce go into each bottle so a typical price for 475 millilitres is about $8. And they are mighty tasty.

Partners Zack Lister and Jeff Tumbach created Well about a year ago and currently wholesale their drinks to places such as Calgary Co-op, Phil & Sebastian and Good Earth. They do four fruit-vegetable juices plus a nut milk.

When the fire hit, Well employees were busy pressing and bottling. It wasn’t until firemen came knocking that they realized an inferno was blazing just a few metres away. Fortunately, like Villa Maria, they escaped damage and were able to resume business quickly.

But the way, cold-pressed juices are big business in Calgary. Cru Juice in Bridgeland produces more than a dozen varieties and is sold in Holt Renfrew; Juice Because offers delivery and sells through Market Collective, a local independent market; Jenn Silver operates both Bava, an online business, and the all-organic Wild & Raw, which has an outlet of Kensington Road N.W., and Delicate & Raw works in conjunction with A Ladybug Bakery & Cafe.

Easter brunch or dinner

Easter is just around the corner and many of us are looking for a place to celebrate the occasion with family. The Fairmont Palliser has some options. A big Easter buffet brunch, along with egg decorating and an Easter egg hunt, will be offered in the Crystal Ballroom followed by an Easter Afternoon Tea on April 5. And a huge, Prime Rib buffet dinner will finish the day. Weekend packages are available at the hotel at http://www.fairmont.com/palliser-calgary.

John Gilchrist can be reached at escurial@telus.net or at 403-235-7532 or follow him on Twitter @GilchristJohn

This is what Lara McCully, Arthur Jack and their kids Austin and Brinley found when they turned to a scenic community in Okotoks for their next home.

The family is moving to Ranchers’ Rise, a community master-planned by Bordeaux Developments. They chose a version of the Berkshire 2 floor plan by Sterling Homes. The standard model is displayed as one of the builder’s show homes in the community and measures 2,461 square feet.

“We went through the show home and loved it,” says McCully. We found a lot that we loved and it was such a good price in this cute little cul-de-sac and we’re just like ‘Oh, maybe this is meant to be.’ ”

Joining Sterling in Ranchers’ Rise are Baywest Homes and Wolverine Custom Homes. The streetscape features eye-catching architecture, including Farmhouse, Craftsman, Tudor and French Country designs.

An existing show home parade is located on Ranchers Crescent. Five new show homes will open in the community May 9. Two each from Sterling and Baywest and one for Wolverine.

On a typical lot, homes in current phase of the community start in the $500,000s, including tax. This phase is comprised of 79 lots.

For McCully, what made an immediate impression was the difference in size of the lots and distance between the homes. The family lives in a more established community on Calgary’s northwest end, where the houses are much closer, says McCully.

“When you’re that close it almost feels like you are in an attached home when you’re not,” says McCully. Lots in the current phase of Ranchers’ Rise are 36 to 50 feet wide.

“It’s just a feeling of openness and roominess — you have your own space,” adds McCully. Ranchers’ Rise felt like we were in the country but it still had a city feel to it because there were a lot of amenities and things like that.”

From the lot they chose, there’s a beautiful view, says McCully.

“Depending where you are, you can see the mountains,” she adds. “Lots of ponds and walkways and nature.”

When the family first looked at Okotoks as a new place to live, they wondered if leaving the city would mean waving goodbye to many of the franchise stores and restaurants they’ve come to love, like Costco.

That question was answered with a quick drive through town.

“Then we’d walk down the street it would be there,” says McCully, laughing. “So it was ‘OK, we’re not going to miss anything.”

Okotoks has gone through a significant and steady growth phase over the last decade, says Bordeaux’s vice-president of marketing and communications Ryan Hall.

“The town is busier than it once was, but offers most of the necessary amenities like schools, shopping, sports facilities and family recreation,” says Hall. “If people are willing to commute to work in Calgary, it’s quite a nice option because it offers those who want a yard, a quiet street for their kids and a more attainable price.”

Ranchers’ Rise is now 10 phases into the community, which means many of the development’s features have now taken shape.

“Ranchers’ Rise was developed from back to front so, it’s taken a while, but we are now at the point of development where visitors and residents will experience the full potential as they enter into this community,” says Hall. “This includes a permanent road, beautiful entry monumentation, tree-lined streets and pageantry. Green spaces will be created and you’ll see the sports field and school site as well.”

Okotoks Air Ranch Airport is a fully certified airport that is located centrally in the community and provides an airstrip and flight school for recreational pilots, says Hall. Homes that back onto the airstrip have design requirements to ensure safety.

McCully says she and her family are looking forward to seeing planes takeoff nearby. “We have never seen them, every time we’ve been out there looking at the house,” adds McCully. “We’re really excited about that part.”

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

PROJECT: Ranchers’ RiseDEVELOPER: Bordeaux Developments.BUILDERS: Baywest Homes, Sterling Homes and Wolverine Custom Homes.PRICES: On a typical lot, these homes start from the $500,000s, including GST.HOURS: Show homes are open 2 to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and noon to 5 p.m. on weekends and holidays.INFORMATION:okotoksranchersrise.com

]]>http://calgaryherald.com/life/homes/new-homes/sweeping-views-from-ranchers-rise/feed0032515-Lara_and_Arthur,_Rancher's_Rise_Okotoks-_0328_homes_front_ranchers-W.jpgjskapinEye-catching Karmahttp://calgaryherald.com/life/homes/condos/eye-catching-karma
http://calgaryherald.com/life/homes/condos/eye-catching-karma#commentsFri, 27 Mar 2015 18:56:22 +0000http://calgaryherald.com/?p=266288]]>Karma is a townhome that measures up in both in size and features with a single-family home option.

The biggest of the floor plans at Avira in EvansRidge, Karma is a tape measure-stretching 1,698 square feet but can reach 1,726 square feet.

Avira is a complex by seasoned builder Jayman Modus located on EvansRidge Court. Jayman Modus is also behind multi-family projects in Mahogany, Currie Barracks and Nolan Hill. EvanRidge is by Dream Development and known for scenic stretches of green space and its close proximity to a long list of amenities.

Karma is a three-storey floor plan with three bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms along with a heated two-car garage. It’s an award-winning floor plan that’s also offered at the builder’s Ebony development in Mahogany.

The model is functional in a number of ways, led by a kitchen with the space and features that will whet the appetite of any domestic chef. It all starts with food preparation. Large stretches of counter space and an expansive island mean finding a place to chop and dice vegetables won’t be a problem. And scrub those vegetables in the sunshine with sink under a large rear-facing dual-pane window.

The kitchen is in a functional L-shaped orientation with room for two or more cooks to move freely without feeling cramped. It boasts granite counters and a sleek Whirlpool stainless steel appliance package that includes an over-the-range microwave and a smooth-top self-cleaning range.

The kitchen has an eye-catching full-height ceramic tile backsplash along with an abundance of cabinets with soft-close hardware.

A few steps away from the kitchen is a dining area, where there’s access to a vinyl deck. Adjacent to the dining area is a generously sized great room highlighted by a tall set of windows. The great room is a welcoming gathering space with more than enough square footage for a couch, chairs and a coffee table.

The townhome is also foot-friendly with engineered laminate or carpet with a cushy seven-pound underlay.

Just off the kitchen, there’s access to stairs that stretch up to the second floor. Along the way, a small door opens to a handy storage space. This spot will also be magnet for kids looking for a fun hide-away.

The bedrooms are on the top floor with two secondary bedrooms on one end of the level and the master bedroom on the other. A central full bathroom and the ensuite separate the master bedroom from the secondary bedrooms.

With the master bedroom, windows are a presence, once again. Two of the walls feature sprawling windows that inject the space with large amounts of sunlight.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

PROJECT: Avira.MODEL: Karma.BUILDER: Jayman Modus.HOURS: The show open is open 2 to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and noon to 5 p.m. on weekends and holidays.DIRECTIONS: The show home is located at 47 Evansridge Court N.W. To get there, take Symons Valley Parkway to Evanston Drive then left on Evanspark Boulevard and right on Evansridge Court.INFORMATION:Jayman.com/Avira

]]>http://calgaryherald.com/life/homes/condos/eye-catching-karma/feed0032015-avira_greatroom.jpg-0328_condos_show_home_avira-W.jpgjskapinThe dining area in the Karma model at Avira in EvansRidge.The kitchen in the Karma model at Avira in EvansRidge.The dining area in the Karma model at Avira in EvansRidge.The master bedroom in the Karma show home at Avira in EvansRidge.Stairs in the Karma model at Avira in EvansRidge show the storage space or kids' hide-away.The exterior of Avira in EvansRidge.Grand spaces give Verona star powerhttp://calgaryherald.com/life/homes/new-homes/grand-spaces-give-verona-star-power
http://calgaryherald.com/life/homes/new-homes/grand-spaces-give-verona-star-power#commentsFri, 27 Mar 2015 18:49:52 +0000http://calgaryherald.com/?p=266733]]>A sky-high great room complemented by a two-sided fireplace sets to the tone for a striking main floor in one of Lifestyle Homes’ newest show homes.

Verona is one of two move-up models showcased by the builder in the Airdrie community of Cooper’s Crossing. The other is the Mossberg. Cooper’s Crossing is located on Airdrie’s west side and master-planned by WestMark Holdings.

Verona’s floor plan stretches 2,861 square feet and includes four bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms. Its aforementioned great room stars an open-to-above ceiling. The soaring ceiling gives this space a feeling of grandeur reminiscent of a luxury home. This great room has tall rear-facing windows — making the space not only open but also naturally bright.

Adding the the great room’s grand feeling is a two-sided fireplace that also faces the dining area. Dine next to the comforting glow of the fireplace and keep that ambience going after taking your conversation to the couch in the next room.

The dining area offers access to an optional back deck, so it’s just a few steps from the barbecue to plates on the dinner table. This dining area is a space well-suited for parties big and small. The table for a family of four can be switched out for something more appropriate for a get-together over the holidays with no trouble at all.

Adjacent to the dining area is a luxurious L-shaped kitchen featuring a spacious island and with an sink and eating bar that seats three people. The kitchen has a striking full-height backsplash with stainless steel appliances, including a chimney-style hoodfan and wall oven. There’s also a pantry tucked behind the business end of the kitchen.

The balance of the main level includes a mud room with optional lockers off the attached garage, a half bathroom near the front door and a home office next to the kitchen.

Next to the great room, a elegant open stairwell curves up to the second floor. The first space on the top level is a large master bedroom.

Entering the master bedroom to the left is an ensuite with all the striking touches of the spa in an upscale hotel. A deep modern soaker tub under a set of windows sits next to a glass-incased free-standing shower accented in tile.

The ensuite then connects with a walk-in closet and later a laundry room. This means there’s no need to worry about carrying a load of laundry long distances, because the washer and dryer are only a few paces away. The laundry room can also be accessed from the second floor hallway.

This hallway meets up with a central bonus room before reaching three side-by-side secondary bedrooms on the front end of the floor plan. A full bathroom sits next to one of the secondary bedroom.

An optional developed basement can include a fifth bedroom, storage space, media and games room.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

MODEL: Verona.BUILDER: Lifestyle Homes.AREA: Cooper’s Crossing is a community on Airdrie’s west end.DEVELOPER: WestMark Holdings.HOURS: The show home is open 2 to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and noon to 5 p.m. on weekends and holidays.DIRECTIONS: The show home is located at 1241 Cooper’s Drive. To get there, take. Yankee Valley Boulevard to 8th Street and go left on Coopers Drive.PRICE: This home starts from the low $700,000s.INFORMATION:lifestylehomes.ca

]]>http://calgaryherald.com/life/homes/new-homes/grand-spaces-give-verona-star-power/feed0032015-Verona-1-40_E.jpg-0328_homes_show_home_verona-W.jpgjskapinThe kitchen in the Verona show home by Lifestyles Homes in Cooper's Crossing.The master bedroom in the Verona show home by Lifestyles Homes in Cooper's Crossing.The flex room in the Verona show home by Lifestyles Homes in Cooper's Crossing.The kitchen in the Verona show home by Lifestyles Homes in Cooper's Crossing.A secondary bedroom in the Verona show home by Lifestyles Homes in Cooper's Crossing.